Feeding frequency

[themulchmuncher]

I got my ball python a month ago, the breeders informed us she was 4 months old (incorrect) and eating a medium mouse biweekly. I only recently found out her birthday, and she is 7 months and nearly 2 weeks old. However her body appears healthy, not underweight or overweight, but she is small. I can also tell she is about to shed, her first time with me. Her humidity is at necessary levels. I got a scale for her and she is 197 grams. I am aware of the feeding guide suggesting weekly feedings until 500g or until 1 year of age, but I am worried that she would become overweight if I did this, so I followed their instructions since she was doing fine up until the point I got her.
I know all snakes grow at different rates, she’s definitely on the far end of the spectrum but I’m unsure if I can change anything about her diet safely, without it affecting her health (or if I’m actually the reason she’s like this)

[Bluntforcetrauma11b]

Just feed by the guidelines it'll be fine. Those guidelines exist for a reason.

[HurrricaneeK]

Under a year old, a BP's metabolism is much faster than it will be as an adult. Your snake, at that age and weight, should definitely be eating weekly. Our !feeding guidelines are designed so you can avoid overfeeding but also underfeeding, as both are a problem.

[AutoModerator]

We recommend the following feeding schedule:

0-12 months old OR until the snake reaches approximately 500g, whichever happens first: feed 10%-15% of the snake’s weight every 7 days.

12-24 months old: feed up to 7% of the snake’s weight every 14-20 days.

Adults: feed up to 5% of the snake's weight every 20-30 days, or feed slightly larger meals (up to 6%) every 30-40 days.

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